We learned this week that Sears is going to close all of its Canadian stores. This will impact not only the 12,000 people who work there but their families too. A lot of the employees have worked for Sears for many, many years. It is going to be hard slogging for them. Dealing with the grief of losing a job is tough. Putting together a resume for something new is going to be a tough too.

The employment market will often make assumptions about a candidate who has been in the same role for a long time. A hiring manager might think that the person is complacent, does not want to be challenged or is comfortable with the “same old, same old”.

Anyone who has been working for the last 10 years has seen plenty of change and had to adapt to a lot of transformation.

It is important to use your resume to illustrate what you have seen change and how you adapted to it. If there were not computer systems or online tools, that is worth noting. If the pace of product change increased or if customer expectations changed, that should be pointed out as well.

The other thing that your resume needs to do is to point out why you were in a role for a long time.

BECAUSE YOU WERE GOOD AT IT.

Take some space to lay out the personal qualities and characteristics that made you successful in the job.

Dependable

Commitment to looking after customers

Easy to get a long with

Likes looking after all the details

Great at coaching new employees

Think about what your favourite manager would say about you. How would your colleagues describe your attitude? How about a long term customer? Sometimes you need an outside point of view to get a fresh perspective on your better qualities.

You need to help potential employers to see the value that you would bring to their organization.

Once you figure this all out, apply it to your LinkedIn profile too. Then share it with your family and friends. Don’t be shy – they might not know about all the different things you have done.

A strong resume is the foundation of a strong job search. Get started today.